The Library
by NoteEmmy
Summary: Kaiba and Atem's relationship is more hard work than romance.
1. Compliments

It wasn't often the TV was turned on in the top office of Kaiba Corporation. Mokuba had long since grown out of hanging around without doing anything, and Kaiba certainly had no need of it. Atem didn't make it a habit to watch television at all, regardless of his setting. But when he'd gotten to the office to relax, he'd gotten a text message from his friend telling him to turn on a recent broadcast. Asking for it was awkward enough but Kaiba put up little resistance, busy with his work- as long as Atem promised not to turn on any childish drivel and keep the volume low.

When he found the channel he'd been requested to watch, footage of the last tournament he'd been spending his time at for the past month flashed on screen. There was a perky young interviewer going around the entire fairgrounds taking whatever she could, so long as she got someone with a duel disk on their arm. Atem didn't remember taking an solo interviews this time around (or many in his entire career, he avoided it as much as possible), so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be watching out for. He pretended not to notice Kaiba glancing up from time to time, though the keystrokes never once ceased.

Eventually one on one questions died out and a montage of duels started playing. Atem's were most prominent, and he wasn't entirely fond of watching himself duel. He was tempted to turn it off but he was sure this wasn't what he was supposed to be seeing. Kaiba's typing slowed every time a duel clip came to its end, life points hitting zero. Several times Atem walked across the field to give his opponent a bright smile, a handshake, and some words of kindness. Complimenting his opponents was the greatest thing he could think to do, especially when every duel was unique in its own way and his opposites really were trying hard.

After a few moments, one of the final duels came on and he sat a little closer on the edge of the couch. While he really didn't want to rematch, especially with someone's commentary on top of it all, he couldn't resist watching his duel with Jonouchi. He was sure it was what his friend wanted him to watch anyway. He'd come out on top in the end but it had been a spectacular duel and Jonouchi had had him in a few tight spots throughout. Watching it again was only a fraction of the excitement he'd felt when dueling him, but it was fun to see it again from a different perspective. Once the footage ended, Jonouchi bounded across the screen to throw his arm around Atem.

Watching it brought a fond smile to his face and he sat back again. The typing stopped completely but he wasn't paying too much attention. On the TV Jonouchi and he were busy chatting, though Atem was a little upset that the moment had been filmed. He hadn't even realized. The reporter's voice came up over the image of the two of them, speculating on how close the relationship was, something that made Atem roll his eyes. There was never any shortage of gossip in this profession, he'd found. Another text hit his phone, though Jonouchi was laughing the entire thing off. It certainly wasn't anything to get upset about.

As he settled back onto the couch to respond back, the TV was turned off from Kaiba's side of the office. The typing resumed, but he could feel Seto watching him. He didn't look up from his phone.

"It's ridiculous how much time they spend speculating on this than the actual duels." He made sure to maintain a wholly disinterested tone.

"You shouldn't console the losers who fall to you." Before Atem could interject Kaiba continued, "And you shouldn't let them slobber all over you, either."

He exhaled a breath, steeling another roll of his eyes. "The people I go up against try their hardest. The duels are spectacular." Atem really didn't want to touch on the subject of Jonouchi. That was a very delicate place to go into, and he certainly hadn't gone up there to start a fight. Or participate in one.

"Their skills are poor compared to yours. They don't deserve your attention. It weakens your image when you act like they're on your level." The typing resumed, slow but harder, Kaiba's fingers coming down on the keyboard as if he were trying to prove a point. That he wasn't really paying attention, perhaps.

Which Atem knew to be far from the truth. Finally he looked up from his phone, shuffling over to lean against the arm of the couch, closer to the desk's direction. "My image is just fine. And I have no interested in playing cold to budding duelists." That certainly wasn't any way to cultivate talent or interest in the game.

"And it's why you are weak." The sentiment was cold.

Atem tried to let it go but in the end shot back with something he knew he shouldn't have. "Does this have to do with Jonouchi?"

The corner of Kaiba's jaw tightened, Atem could tell he was grinding his teeth. "That mediocrity does not deserve anything from you, more so than the other losers. Letting him drool all over you after losing is by far the worst thing you can do."

Again he couldn't resist. "You're not-" Jealous. Kaiba was always jealous.

"Don't tell me you let his stupidity rub off on you as well." Kaiba was obviously not up for entertaining such a ridiculous idea. "That dog-"

"Jonouchi," Atem corrected sternly, "Is my friend. And a great duelist. And I'll compliment him whenever he deserves it." He stared straight at Kaiba who had finally lifted his gaze. The match went on for a few moments before Kaiba narrowed his eyes, trying to get Atem to back down. Never in his life would it work, but he'd always try.

And when it didn't he simply dropped his eyes back down to his computer with a scoff. "So let your reputation slide. It won't matter when I take everything back from you."

Though he should have perhaps been angry, instead Atem rose from the couch, smiling slightly, and settled himself on the corner of Kaiba's desk. "Victory wouldn't be as sweet if you took it from someone with a weak reputation. Is that what you're angry about?" Letting Kaiba off easy; he simply had no wish to fight, especially not with the topic at hand.

"Perhaps you are not as stupid as you act, if you can understand that much." He grunted out, shoulders rolling back. He was trying to keep his attention away from Atem.

"Perhaps." Muttered before he rose and cross his arms. He was sure Kaiba had seen the duel with Jonouchi- or all his duels, for that matter. He did watch rather obsessively. "I'm going to get dinner." Even though he'd only just gotten there, his motive the entire time had been to entice Kaiba away from the office. "Are you coming?"

"You know better than to ask that." He was busy. Always. He made no concessions. Not for Atem. Never. …even when he did, which was more often than not as of late. Not that he'd ever admit it. He watched Atem shrug and move towards the door.

"That's fine. Jonouchi wanted to go out anyway." At the growl, with his back facing Kaiba, he couldn't help but smirk. Sometimes those buttons were entirely too easy to push.

"Let them catch you again with the filth so the rumors can circulate?" Kaiba stood abruptly, chair creaking with the quick push. "We're not going to that low class burger joint." And just like that he'd invited himself back in, grabbing his coat.

Atem smiled up at him as he strode to his side. "One day I'll get you to try it." Cheeky in his response.

"Your delusions are worse than your stupidity at times." He raised his hand to the small of Atem's back- only to push him to the door. The more time they wasted the worse the work pile would be when he got back. It wasn't as if he were jealous or trying to reclaim his position. Never. "Hanging around the dog really does hinder you."

"And hanging around you?" He was decently happy with the way things turned out, even if Kaiba was still sniping at his best friend. That would never stop. He wasn't going to count on it. They could fight, and often did, but Kaiba would never change his mind. Especially not when Jonouchi was close and did things like put his arm around him during tournaments.

"It will improve you. Slightly." Said with a smirk as he peered down at Atem while they walked.

He smiled up at him. "Good enough."


	2. Chess

There was something spectacularly haunting about a chessboard. The one Atem had in his use was pristine, though he'd had it for a few years. Standard size, standard colors, standard everything; when he sat down to play a game, it was anything but. It had its own table in the center of his game room, one of his most prized places in his own new home and heart. The positioning was just perfect that sunlight and moonlight alike would stream in and illuminate what was usually an ongoing war zone. The boxes on both sides, over days, would fill up from costly mistakes, traps walked into purposely, or seizing new opportunities. No game was ever the same.

The realization of that was more than enough to keep him coming back and sitting down. The games, however, were played with a shadow opponent. In essence, himself. Chess wasn't a game many knew how to play with skill, and even he had to admit to himself that he knew less of the rules than he should have when the board had first been purchased. Skilled tactician that he was, though, sitting down for his first few games brought back vivid imagery of blazing hot sands and even hotter blood staining his clothes. War was war, and while it wasn't a game, it was easily recalled through his fingers, as if he were standing above a cracked table in some underground zone, talking things over with his Court.

Kaiba had taken little interest in Atem's plays by himself, mostly because by the time he'd seen the board after days of Atem gone missing, the game was already over. The connection was easy to make, and Atem would have never forced his rival into any sort of game, much less one that held so much significance- not that Kaiba would ever talk about it. He realized sometimes that he didn't want him to, anyway. Whether that made him a terrible person or not, he wasn't sure yet. But the overwhelming urge to frown or offer a kind touch in the middle of a bruised and battered story of a child who looked much the same was too much. And Kaiba was cruel and unaccepting of those. So it was better left not explored.

It was unfortunately the way that chess became boring. Eventually playing against yourself, strategies were too often played and memorized. 'You' couldn't be your own opponent in a game of war, and if you could, Atem hardly needed to walk down that alley again. He'd rather not get the label of obsessed, so he moved on, and the chess board and its striking pieces were left untouched for quite a while. He spent more time in the office again listening to Kaiba scoff before quieting down. Things were the semblance of normal, and it was alright, trading puzzle books and sudoku for the soft taps of pieces being put in just the right space.

A few months into that, a new force came into his life like it owned his very soul- sad to say, that it wasn't Kaiba, and Kaiba was no more fond of it than it was of him. Atem would come into the office late some days (as if they really had a set schedule for unscheduled visits), dragging in with him the telltale marks. Long white strands of fur that had attached themselves to his black pants stuck out awfully, and even worse when he sat on the couch and transferred them over. Like the cat had been allowed in the office all along. Kaiba growled about it often enough that grooming himself before showing up had become a new ritual. Atem was fond of the stray, and left his windows open for it to come in and out when he pleased, despite Kaiba's scoffing about disease and a pathetic attachment to something as stupid as a tiny, white, flea-filled furbag.

Not that Atem would have ever given credence to Kaiba's whining, but all of the insults had become dull in one fantastic moment. His new feline friend jumped in through the window of his game room as he was putting something away on a shelf in the far corner and sat down on the chair in front of the chess board table. There was nothing unusual about it, cats went where they wanted, and so Atem paid no attention to it- that was, until the soft slide of felt against polished wood caught his attention. A delicate paw had reached out, pushing the second to last pawn on the black side forward two spaces.

Two.

And in such a careful manner. The pawn sat in the box, as it had every right to do.

Atem's eyebrow raised, intrigued and so unbelievably listless that he was willing to give in. Stranger things had happened, right? So he sat, chair creaking slightly underneath him, gauging those brilliant blue eyes in front of him, watching him back. He barely dropped them back down to the board, not willing to give up the advantage of closeness and staring down his opponent-

How absurd. A cat? His chess playing opponent? If he ever disclosed this with Kaiba he was sure he'd be red in the face after how the man would laugh at him. It was utter nonsense. But the intensity of how to play a game right, how to watch your opposite, was too ingrained in him to stop. So still watching, he left his fingers down to the board to move a knight up over his pawns and neatly into position. And the cat looked own at the board. He held his breath. This was all very stupid, he realized, really he did…

But the cat stretched out, snaking that long delicate white paw out to push a pawn on her opposite side over only one space this time. Atem held his breath. Could this be real? Where on earth would someone have had the patience to teach a cat chess? How could a cat even learn the rules of such a game? It was so fantastically stupid that it made his head whirl. The real cause of his heated light headedness was the case of a brand new opponent, not what package it came wrapped up in. So his moves became more calculated and careful, nothing like how he played wildly with himself in earlier months. He needed to drag this out, and soon he settled in for the evening as the sun dipped and the moon appeared. Nothing else mattered- save for this new discovery of not only a friend in a tiny furry package, but also a player of a wonderfully terrible game.

Nothing mattered, that was, until the door of his game room swung open on its hinges, hitting back against the wall so hard that it definitely made a dent as the sound would suggest. A livid looking Kaiba Seto then standing in the doorway- livid for all of three seconds before disbelief took up his features. Atem was almost a little torn in looking at him and away from the board. Did cats cheat at chess?

"This." Kaiba sounded off, folding his arms, narrowing his eyes. "This is what you decided was more important this evening."

It didn't really hit Atem until he actually took full stock of him. He wasn't in his usual office clothing- though to the common man unused to dealing with Kaiba, the difference might not be enough. The suit was beautiful, and as usual beautifully tailored to his form. He was showing off, as he always was. But it was whom he was showing off for, or not for that matter, that made Atem's heart sink.

"Seto-" His tone was regretful, as was the look in his eyes as he stood from his chair.

As if he was repulsed by the very idea of Atem coming closer, he stood firmer, staring him down. "You will explain your idiocy in full, then I am going back to work." He closed off his words like one would forcefully shut off a valve, inwardly very happy with the way they struck Atem. The man was already wilting.

"I got caught up." He tried desperately, his mind already jumping three spaces ahead of his words. "You won't believe this- really- but she knows how to play-" It all sounded terribly stupid and he felt as much for saying it. Especially the way Kaiba's head turned up, looking down at him through his nose.

They stood like that for a few moments, Kaiba hoping to let everything soak into Atem's head, before menacingly prowling forward. "You choose your opponents as poorly as you always have. If you wanted a game you could have just said so." It was obvious how utterly offended he was at the idea of Atem wasting an evening away with a dumb animal than with him. Especially when they had plans.

Kaiba closed in further, reaching a hand out to poke Atem in the chest, to get him to move back all the way into the wall. He wanted to watch him cower. It was something he had been after for a long while. Unfortunately the way Atem was looking at him, full of sorrow, was not even remotely close. It only enticed him into anger that much easier. "You waste my time with this." The last word spat out, as if he was seconds away from ending what had no definition to begin with.

It woke Atem up, finally, but he didn't want to get angry, if only because he was in the wrong. He leveled a look at Kaiba, lips pressed firmly together once before speaking. "I got caught up." He repeated. And then, hard as it was for him, "I'm sorry." It wouldn't be enough, he knew, but admitting his wrongs wasn't as hard as it was for Kaiba.

"You're going to be." The defense was automatic. Taking time out of his schedule was unheard of, as Atem full well knew. He'd only heard about it every five seconds. Not only that, but he'd gotten dressed for the occasion. And here Atem was, sitting in the same leather and chains he always was in, and had completely forgotten him. Their night. Unacceptable.

His control frayed in that moment and he pushed back, red eyes narrowing. "Are you threatening me?" Breathed out like he couldn't believe it. The hand that went to Kaiba's chest was grabbed in an iron grip, something he'd calculated for but had no way out of. It served to get Kaiba down closer, though, so he could really stare right into those cold blue eyes. "How many times have you done this to me and I've granted you amnesty?" Too many. He was sure Kaiba didn't even know the number.

He'd be wrong, but he was sure. "My faults do not equal yours. I work. You play games with animals." Which was fitting, really. Wasn't that all Atem did with his life when he wasn't spending time with Kaiba Seto? The thought threatened to weaken his position with an amused smirk. What he got across was something colder, but still a curve of his lips.

The meaning wasn't lost on Atem and he struggled to be released. "Let go." Sharp and commanding. He wanted no part of what was happening anymore. He wasn't going to be crucified for a good game, regardless of who it was with. Instead he found himself shoved harder, back again with Kaiba lurking so close over him he felt like prey to predator. He refused to relent, though.

"I'm through taking orders. What if I do? You'll forget too soon enough, isn't that right?" Kaiba was edging into dangerously hurtful territory. Somewhere he knew. He knew that if he continued that thought up with something about how that was Atem's motive, that he'd been chasing memories for quite some time, the evening would end much angrier than it needed to be. And he was surprised, because he knew Atem knew him well enough by now to know he was heading there. Instead of speaking, challenging the thought away, Atem was letting him go there. At least he would have, if Kaiba wasn't so good at self evaluating. Instead he pressed in harder, pleased with Atem's wince. "Sit down. Now. I will forcibly remind you what a good opponent looks like."

Out of everything he'd been expecting, Kaiba summoning him to play chess was low on the list. And though he was angry, with only little right to be, the thrill of a game was too much to say no to. "Move away and I will." He just had to lay one last command in there. Of course, doing so made the encounter last longer than it needed to, and for a weak few seconds he was tempted to lean in and kiss him hard. That would have been much simpler than drawing out swords and war on a chess board. Much too easy. Nothing they ever did was easy.

Part of him was glad.

Just as part of him was always left perpetually tired.

Did Kaiba feel that way, too?


	3. Sunrise

It was very difficult, impossible really, to forget plans for the evening when a reminder was sitting across from you. Less than ten feet away. There was no special occasion, but Atem was granted one evening a year (more than that, but Kaiba liked to pretend). An evening where he could do anything he wanted with his cold eyed, stone hearted rival. The only thing he wanted to do was spend time away from the office. Away from the computer and the endless click-clack of the keys. To be paid attention to. And not just because they were dueling. Because he was worth being paid attention to.

Kaiba thought it was all very stupid. Would he even be wasting time with Atem, putting up with his perpetual presence, if he was not worth something? But once in a while a wall had to break, someone had to bend the knee. Unfortunately that evening it was he. At least, it was supposed to be.

Atem strolled into the office, ready to take Seto home and just spend time with him away from all the distractions. Immediately he knew it wasn't going to happen. If Kaiba wanted to go, he would have been away from his desk and ready. Instead he was typing away, glasses half down the bridge of his nose, serving no real purpose at all Atem noted, and intensely focused. Better sense told him to leave because tonight was not happening. Kaiba barely even looked up at him, another poor indicator. Despite all of that, he sat on the couch. Maybe Kaiba would finish up and they'd be able to leave.

Hope was for fools. He'd never felt that way more often than trying to depend on Kaiba to have a sense about him that wasn't solely focused on work. Some nights he could accept this. Not when they'd made plans months in advance. And for what? Just to take a long ride home through the backstreets instead of the highway. Get home and eat a meal. Just to lie together on a bed. Have sex. Fall asleep. Was that so much to ask?

Apparently so. Kaiba didn't even bother to give him solace in 'just another few minutes'. Instead he was fully ignored as hours ticked away. Atem wanted to be so angry, he really did. But instead he felt empty. Unnoticed. Unimportant. Let down. Lied to. A million little negative things that ate away at him. His expression had changed from hopeful to neutral to depressed over the course of the night. He could have made a scene, but quiet anger was better. It would serve to cut deeper, and maybe that was immature. Facing his problems head on was better. But did he really want a speech about how much more important Kaiba Corporation was than he?

No.

And he didn't need another fight.

So he stayed and was quiet and solemn on the couch. Doing absolutely nothing but staring off into the distance. Night trickled into A.M. He wilted back against the couch. Tiredness got the better of him eventually and he drifted, looking just as pathetic as he had when he'd worn a frown with sad eyes. Kaiba had, of course, been watching the whole time out of the corner of his eye.

He'd been ready to be called out for his mistake. A miscalculation on a project date that had led him to another all nighter. It would have just been another standard night at Kaiba Corporation had Atem not stumbled into his life, still with no right to do so. Kaiba was ready for a fight, and a weak defense. He was in the wrong, he knew. But admitting it? Never. Instead of all that, though, he watched Atem glower. For hours on end. It was frustrating. But if he'd yelled at him for waiting of all things, that would have probably ended in something broken that he couldn't fix with steady fingers and glue.

His conscience drilled at him harder when he watched those tired, stale features drop off into a doze. Only a few more lines. Just a few. When it was completed he felt no satisfaction at all. The only thing he could do was watch over the glow and the save screen to see Atem breathing deeply. He'd waited. He'd done so quietly, too, which was a miracle. Kaiba had expected barking that would have made even Jonouchi proud. Instead he'd been served patient silence. Was that not deserving of something?

Standing, pushing away his chair, his computer was shut off. A rare rest, but it was a good machine. As good as one ought to be built by him. Inanimate objects couldn't feel desire, but if Kaiba imagined for a moment that one could, he would think that his computer would want a break every now and again. Everything else was beneath him, after all. Just like Atem and his ridiculous desires to spend time together. He had no part in his schedule for something like that. And yet…

Kaiba counted himself lucky that Atem was still asleep as he frowned deeply.

Guilty.

As many new feelings Atem had brought in like a hellstorm fire, the whirlwind that he was, guilt was not his favorite. Not of this caliber. He approached the couch, slipping his hands underneath his much smaller counterpart. The intention was to carry him down to the garage. No one would be in the building save for the security staff, and they were paid entirely too much to start gossip. It would have been relatively safe, and Atem deserved to continue sleeping. His plan was faulty, not counting on how light of a daze Atem had slipped into. Immediately he started fighting. It was almost reminiscent of the way Kaiba jumped ten miles high when someone did similar things to him in sleep. Atem had less reason for it, he was sure.

"Stop." The command was not as sharp as it would normally be.

"Put me down." Carrying him was never an acceptable option for anything. His legs could be broken and he'd still find a way to move.

The counter argument angered Kaiba, almost prompting him to carelessly drop the smaller right onto the couch. He calmed his nerves, tired too, and set him on the ground. He had to quell any insult that was ready to pop up, reminding himself that a fight had miraculously not popped up yet. He alone could keep it that way. But it resulted in an awkward lurch of silence before he cleared his throat and turned away. "Come on."

Childishly Atem crossed his arms, as if he'd really stay in the middle of Kaiba's office without him there. Of course he had no choice but to follow (and he really wanted to wipe the sleep out of his eyes), but he needed to protest. "Where to?" Because there was gold at the end of this trail. And he wanted it. He wanted it bad.

It put Kaiba in a tight spot and he had to indulge in a sigh. "I'm going home. You can stay here, if you'd like." The bright spark in those tired scarlet eyes almost got a smile out of him. Almost. It was as close as anything else had been that night. He refrained, instead sweeping out of the office with a long stride. The smirk he couldn't stop as Atem doubled his own to keep up, and fumbled a little, still obviously sleepy.

The walk to the elevator, and the ride down was quiet. As was the walk into the garage and the small time it took for Kaiba to find his spot and get inside. Atem followed, as he was supposed to, sitting in the opposite passenger side and buckling his seatbelt. Kaiba didn't care for such things, instead revving the engine in warning before pulling out. Everything aside the noise of the car moving was so very still. Atem's shoulders hunched. He was still tired. Kaiba looked as impeccable as ever.

That was the way things stayed. At least until Kaiba pulled off the main road, the scenery changing from lights to grassy hills and trees. There was no commentary necessary, Atem unable to help a smile. Chin in his hand, elbow resting on the small space between the door and the window, opposite hand on the wheel, Kaiba smiled finally. As if Atem had successfully pulled a trap and he could do nothing but stand in its wake and react. He had a much harder time finding the right thing to do when Atem sagged towards him, resting his head on his shoulder.

Instinctive response told him to freeze up, so he did. Atem stayed through it, and eventually Kaiba relaxed. The drive continued on that way, and it was going to take a much longer time to get to the mansion driving the back roads. But… strangely, Kaiba found, it was worth it. It wouldn't have been worth throwing away a night and missing a deadline, so he was glad that Atem had waited. Compromise was better. Though the more he dwelt on how often Atem had to compromise for him, he found that disgusting feeling creeping deep into his chest.

"The sun is coming up." Atem remarked quietly. A soft glow of gold on the horizon, bringing with it beautiful pinks and violets. He could have, and would have had every right, been angry that it had taken Kaiba so long. But it was nice this way. There was no one else around for miles. Nothing save them.

"Hn." Kaiba conceded, but his attention was on a much more interesting subject. The way the color reflected on Atem's face, touched his eyes in just the right way. Sunrises, car rides, green landscapes, they were all such mundane things. He had better uses for his time.

But where Atem was concerned… he was slowly finding redefinition of the term 'better use'.


	4. Birthday

October twenty-fifth. It was a day that was supposed to be of little importance to anyone. Just another day to work. Long, tedious hours. Despite his best efforts, however, even Kaiba was not immune to the annoyances his birth date brought. He never had time for such trivial things (unless it was Mokuba's, of course, then it ceased to be such a little thing). His birthday had meant little in a very long time. He could hardly even remember celebrating it with his mother and father. And he had since never went out of his way to even remember it on his own. But he had other people to remind him of that.

Other annoyances. Mokuba could, unfortunately, be one of them. Though he asked his little brother to let it go, sometimes little trinkets or a card or other things Kaiba had no interest in showed up on his desk or in his drawers. From him, they were too much to throw away, but he made a show of growling about it in the hopes that one day the kid would understand he had no need for things like that. No need for a birthday. Isono could have been just as bad, though he had learned his place a long time ago. Still, he lingered and sometimes Kaiba even thought he caught the man smiling. Which was awkward, and something he wanted nothing to do with. So on October the twenty-fifth, he made sure Isono was out, about, and extremely busy. No time to stop in for little visits. No need for him to carry papers. His office was closed.

Making sure Isono was entirely too busy had its disadvantages, though. While he had a secretary (a slew of them, and he couldn't exactly recall how many he'd gone through in the years past), they always proved to be extremely inefficient. They never did what they were supposed to, and the newer they were, the more they had it in their heads that their boss' birthday was something to be keen about. So he had to make sure they were busy, too. Just like his workers. Just like everyone within his immediate control. He was not to be disturbed. It was another day in a long line of days! Nothing special! What was so hard about understanding that?

So, with everyone under heel and entirely too busy to watch his supposedly closed office, it wasn't really a wonder when Atem walked in. Always, always as if he owned the place. With no hesitation. Kaiba might have admired his stupidity if he hadn't gotten used to it by now. Thankfully, Atem seemed not to be interested in birthdays. His own was often ignored, though doubly celebrated sometimes in unison with Yuugi's. It was something that Kaiba noted he was always reluctant to do. It was just a rare thing they agreed on. Unimportant. Another day out of the year.

This was why when Atem plopped down a beige colored container on his desk, he was only slightly surprised. And then that constant feeling of annoyance surged back up, and he was ready to growl. Only briefly did he glance up from his computer, though the keystrokes never stopped, enough disdain in his glare he was sure to make Atem rethink this poor decision. He noted that he was also holding a similarly shaped and colored container, something popped out of his mouth. They exchanged that stare back at each other, Atem challenging him to stop him or make him throw it away, before retreating to the couch. He collapsed onto it with a soft huff of air, removing the plastic spoon out of his mouth.

Kaiba pretended not to notice or care when Atem started quietly picking at the ice cream he'd brought for himself. And only then could he guess that the same thing was awaiting for him.

"It's going to melt if you don't eat it." Atem's comment sounded very absent of actual thought, which fit since he was busy stuffing his face.

"How many times must I remind you-"

"Which thing this time?" The interruption came around a mouthful, accompanied with a smirk. "That you don't care about today? Or that you don't like sweet things?" Both were valid. However...

"Both." It was sharp and full of ire. Kaiba narrowed his eyes, up once again from his important coding. That Atem had the audacity to ignore both was utterly ridiculous. He would never understand how that brain was wired, though he could only guess poorly. Probably due to that ridiculous hair. He often ignored things like this, and it was only good for getting into fights.

And Kaiba had no wish to fight over birthdays and ice cream. He certainly had much, much better things to do today.

There was a silence as Atem obviously contemplated whatever it was he wanted to say. The spoon popped back in his mouth for a few more seconds. "It's coffee ice cream." He offered as his only explanation. He had thought it would be better. Kaiba really couldn't stomach sweet things, and especially not at the rate he could. It was something he respected because it couldn't be changed- and the reason behind it was something he'd never cared to get into. But coffee ice cream!

He had thought it would be better than nothing. And finally something Kaiba would eat that could be considered a dessert. After all, he lived off the liquid. So why not the cold stuff?

"Get it off my desk." It was already starting to melt from inside the container, leaving perspiration on the outside, creating a ring of water on his pristine desk. Realizing this he grew intensely angry within seconds. "Take it with you on your way out." Atem's disregard for anything he had to say was more than just frustrating. And on today he wanted nothing to do with it. Or him.

Atem watched him for a few seconds, daring him to get angrier. Maybe he'd get away from the desk. They could fight, and then work it out in the usual way. Maybe a little release would be good for Kaiba. He knew there was no way he was going to get him to come home, even though he looked like he desperately needed the sleep. When Kaiba refused to give in, only staring him down, he sighed. It really wasn't about the birthday. Even if Mokuba had phoned him from the states.

"Enjoy your solitude." He wanted to be upset but really, what right did he have? Did he really think the confrontation would have gone any differently? That Kaiba would just give in and start eating it? What a day that might be. A very odd day. He stood, taking his own with him still in his hands and went for the door.

"Atem!" Hissed out. He wanted that ridiculous confection out of his office. The longer it sat there, the more it threatened to ruin the woodwork. He could easily remove it and throw it in his garbage, but it was the principal of the thing. He had to make Atem take it to teach him a lesson. As if that had ever been easy.

Atem's only answer was to wave over his shoulder, not even bothering to look Kaiba in the eyes before disappearing out the door. The sound was overshadowed by the pounding of Kaiba's fists on his desk. Little nuisance bringing in even more nuisances with him. Hadn't that always been Atem's motive? When he reached to pick it up, the lid slid off, revealing the slowly melting taupe colored ice cream, tiny white plastic spoon dug in. It was only a little bit. No more than two scoops.

The way Atem's mind worked really escaped him. Kaiba knew he knew of his hate for confections. So he devised a scheme to get coffee ice cream and only give him a little- it was ridiculous. Atem...

He picked up the small spoon between his fingers, pulling up a small bit, looked around first just to make sure, before putting it into his mouth. He expected the immediate displeasing tang that came with things that were packed with sugar. Instead it was just... coffee ice cream. Slightly bland, not overly sweet.

Certainly not worth the fight indeed.


	5. Reversal

In a bid for more time spent together, Atem had started taking his contract with Kaiba Corporation more seriously. In the end, it made more sense. The more involved he was with his title and the company backing him, the less out of the loop he'd be. So with that thought as the sole reason, he'd made sure Kaiba understood that he was ready to take more responsibility. It would be less random tournaments, less go-here appearances, less time he was confused about his own life. And while dueling would always be fun and always be a thing he loved doing, it had also just slipped into his life as being a job. After all, what else was he to do? Everything about it made sense. Tournaments made him the money he lived off of, and taking the percentage that came with Kaiba Corporation contracts, he did very well for himself.

It was just that he had severely underestimated what trying to spend more time with Kaiba in a business light had meant. It was a field that almost felt eerily familiar, and yet one that he couldn't have been further apart from. Kaiba ran his corporation like the empire it was, and in that Atem could understand it. Meetings with people, akin to meeting with his own advisors, working late nights to lay down further rulings and furthering everything that needed to be done. Truly Kaiba was king of his domain, not that he'd ever share these kinds of thoughts with him. But in the settings he was dropped into, he was like a lost child once more wandering the palace halls.

That evening it happened to be a private table at a restaurant he hadn't even realized existed in the city. Very fancy, and far out of his realm of understanding. Kaiba's staunch refusal and eventual allowing with reluctance at even letting him anywhere near business dealings was a finally understood concept.

Isono had been sent over before the actual car, to allow Atem time to get accustomed to the manner of dress that was expected of him. Leather and collars apparently were not a good look against men in suits- which was what had been brought for him. He wasn't even that surprised that they were all in his measurements. He had asked the assistant to leave, despite being advised against it. If he was going to bumble around trying to figure out Kaiba's world, he wanted to do it privately. Unfortunately it led him to being entirely too late, Kaiba coming in the apartment himself to find him struggling with a tie.

The roll of those blue eyes send a sharp trill of disappointed heat in his chest. And he felt so much like a young boy as the man dropped to his knee to get level enough to be able to do it for him. After that the jacket was pulled on over his shoulders, no words exchanged. To their credit, he probably didn't look half bad in what had been picked out for him. The dark colors he was used to, the red skinny tie, however, was not as easy to get used to. He liked them on Kaiba. This was too much for him, though. He continued to pull on it as they sat on the car on the ride over.

Kaiba's hand came up over his after a few minutes, and he only served a look that said 'stop'. Stop fidgeting. Stop being nervous. Stop being so ridiculous. He knew Kaiba didn't need any embarrassment. Before he hadn't thought that was possible. He was hardly ashamed of himself- not much at all, actually. At least he hadn't thought he was, until the moment he stepped into the acrid air of the restaurant, heavy with cigar smoke, sat down, and all eyes were on him.

He remained quiet and only listened as Kaiba explained the reason he was here- again- as Atem had already known that he'd done so over the phone to a few partners before. A sort-of liaison. What had quick become the face of the technology. Not that Kaiba would allow that, but Atem often sported all sorts of that tech on his body whenever he was out, so when people thought King of Games, or Duel Monsters, they thought Kaiba Corporation. It had always worked out to his advantage. Usually. Atem being here, however, was not. They got lucky, both of them knew, that the older men would have really rathered discuss numbers and new advances than to pose anything towards the out of place man that had come with Kaiba Seto.

If only it had stayed that way. Alcohol, hard liquor, had been pre-ordered for the table, and Atem's distaste of it had been more visible than necessary. Ordering water had been a distraction. And understanding anything on the menu? Far over his head. He had gone for just plainly saying 'I'll have what he's having' with a nod to Kaiba. Which had been a steak, and when asked how he wanted it? Kaiba had to stop from placing a hand to his head in frustration as he answered for him 'medium'. Atem's face felt hot with embarrassment. He could hear the snickering. The whispering. Feel the eyes.

All of his pride, his skill, none of it seemed to matter here. He felt like he had gotten in the middle of a preceding with his father and his court again. A place he didn't belong. That he wasn't ready for. The men looked at him with distaste. And, worst of all, he was probably weakening Kaiba's own image.

Even when he drew a breath and calmed himself, let his face fade back to normal color, sat straighter, and managed somehow not to bumble with fork and knife in hand to cut his food, he still knew the evening had been ruined. He was expecting to get back to the office (if he was lucky not to be left on the sidewalk, or get a stern talk in the car) to a fight. He would have deserved it at this point. For a change. When the night was over he couldn't even manage a breath of relief. Kaiba wouldn't even look at him as they drove. And he wasn't even allowed into the office, it seemed, because the car pulled up to his apartment instead.

Without saying anything he opened the door. He was going to just leave, call it the night that it was, and restructure his deck maybe. Kaiba surprised him by exiting the car with him. Instead of going up the steps he looked towards him, clearly questioning that decision with a raised brow. Kaiba rolled his eyes for a second time that night before sighing.

"You didn't completely blow it." The words were as relieving as they were hurtful. Obviously Kaiba had been expecting him to, and as far as he'd been concerned, he had. "But I'd rather we not have to do this again." He'd tolerated it as a trial run, but it was not a place Atem belonged.

He should have let it go, but he couldn't. "How did I not blow it?" He couldn't contemplate the validity of that assertion.

"They think that because you represent the generation that buys my technology, it's only fitting that you're so damn clueless." Harsh, but it needed to be said.

And as soon as it smacked him he felt red in the face all over again. Part of him wanted to protest. What did those men know? They knew nothing! They only existed in their own worlds and cared little about those around them. Their comments should have not landed so hard. But... He crossed his arms defiantly. "They don't know anything about me." They didn't. And he couldn't let it get to him.

"They know what you showed to them, and in this world first meetings can very easily be last ones." Kaiba would have very much preferred that this be one of those times. Atem's pride got him into trouble on more than one occasion, but Kaiba Corporation couldn't afford to be marred. ...well, it could- and what did they know anyway? Just a bunch of old, drunk men. It wasn't like they were really very important, and they got a laugh out of Atem's stupidity.

Which was really what burned. And if Kaiba could protect him from it... it was what was best. Even if it hurt Atem's feelings right then. It was just entirely too much how defeated his rival looked. This might not have been a duel, but it was very clearly a battle he had lost. And it was Kaiba's fault, because he'd allowed it. He reached out, smoothing his hand along the top knot of the tie. "You look decent in a suit." He tried.

The compliment missed its mark. "You can take it back. I don't belong in it, either." In Kaiba's world... he was only a very small part of Kaiba's life, it felt like, after this. So small. He'd always been beneath the Corporation in terms of importance, and it was something he'd understood and been okay with. But this?

Ire bubbled to the surface. "They're a bunch of geriatrics who believe their importance to be greater than what it really is. Don't let them get to you." Kaiba could remember when he'd been looked at much the same way during Gozaburo's rein. If he'd let it take him down he'd not even be standing where he was today. "You led me to believe you were stronger than a few insults." Trying to urge him along.

Atem sighed, a tight and annoyed noise. "I don't care about them." In time he would forget the ache of embarrassment. His eyes finally met Kaiba's. "This is the one time I'll admit that I should have just listened to you." It sounded as pathetic as it felt. Like giving up. Retreating back a few steps. "-if only for your image, not mine." Which was true, just not the whole reason.

It put Kaiba in a tight spot. He could let it go, let Atem go home, go back to work, and they could never speak about this again. He'd only hear it a few times in the next dealings 'where's that stupid boy with the ridiculous hair?'. And he could deal with that. But Atem deserved better than that. Than to live the rest of his life with a pit in his stomach every time he mentioned having to go to a business dinner or party. And that was just another long road Kaiba wanted to avoid. "My image can outlast their notions of what's good and not." Truly. "And so can yours." A breath out. "And you can show them better." A small invite. He'd let Atem jump to make the final say.

"I'd rather not." Quickly stated. He had hated being there more than almost anything he could recall in recent events. But the way Kaiba was looking at him, expectant. He wanted him to do better. How could he say no? Disappoint again? Especially after Kaiba had gone out on a limb in the first place. "I'm not changing." Uncomfortably said.

He felt much better when Kaiba smirked at him. "Of course not."

Atem couldn't return it, but he did feel the slightest bit better. "We'll see." He reached up to try and loosen the knot around his neck. His collars were so much better. His neck had felt bare the entire evening. Pulling didn't work, and he felt almost delighted when Kaiba reached in to slip a finger between the fabric and pull it loose in one clean move. It was so practiced. Graceful. And he felt like he could breathe again. Only for a few seconds before his breath caught as those slender fingers moved up along his neck.

"The next one isn't for a while." Kaiba's tone had dropped, making sure Atem's eyes stayed on his. He reveled in the way he could just command his attention, take everything from him. And he planned to. "Long enough for bruises to heal." His smirk was a few seconds away from cruel.

"Seto-" Warning. But obviously not angry, the use of his first name instead of family. It was engulfed anyway, by the quick move of Kaiba's lips against his. All things considered, the evening had ended much better than he had planned for.


	6. Out Of Place

**_Content warning: Sexism, derogatory language, homophobia._**

Kaiba was almost, almost, impressed. Atem was faring much better in the middle of a slightly crowded room. Glass of champagne in his hand, something he could handle instead of the hard liquor of a night that had gone down in mostly failure. He looked better, too, in a white button down and black vest (and allowed the leather pants and belts he was so used to) than the suit jacket and tie he'd fidgeted in the time before. The way to get Atem to move the way he needed him to was to give him the essence of slight relative comfort. Though Kaiba wasn't sure what it really said about the man that once he was allowed to wear those ridiculous tight pants he loosened back up to normalcy.

Normal for him, anyway. Women were moving around him. All trophy wives in low cut dresses. Kaiba had no need for them, and Atem was serving his purpose well enough. Not that making an impression on the women was going to help anything, but at least he wasn't making a fool of himself. Yet. Kaiba had to make sure he kept that word in the back of his mind. Yet. If something was going to go wrong, there was no doubt that Atem was going to cause it. It was just unfortunate that Kaiba couldn't fully chaperone him.

He wasn't a man for parties. Invitations to things like this were usually handled by Isono- shredded without even asking. But Kaiba had something to gain. A man to corner, once he spotted him. He needed to speak with him about some of his very dodgy behavior. And since no one expected Kaiba Seto to show up, it was the perfect time to do it. The only problem now was Atem. And the image he was putting on.

Kaiba kept mostly to himself, in his usual circle of old men with cigars in their mouths. The people he hated most. But it paid off to keep an eye on them, too. Grease them up with upcoming details and good numbers. If they were happy there were less chances they'd show up uninvited to his office. The only problem was they could barely keep their attention on Kaiba, almost all of them busy watching Atem chat up their wives. It wasn't of great importance, and Atem was hardly a threat to them. As was soon pointed out by a young new upstart.

Older than Kaiba, of course, who wasn't, but young in the game. He too had come in with some blonde woman with big beasts just barely contained by her red dress. Showing off. All of them did it all the time. It made Kaiba glad he had no one to...

...Well Atem was there, wasn't he? But if he had had any other choice, his rival wouldn't have been. Atem could hardly have been considered a trophy wife. How absurd. Kaiba shook the thought away and returned back to the conversation at hand.

"-sure you don't mind your women gossiping at him like that?" The kid sounded worried, like he might actually lose that shiny piece of game bait. Kaiba was hardly interested. At least he would have been if they weren't talking about Atem.

One of the eldest of the group snorted through his drink before taking a sip. "If it keeps them from bothering us, it's hardly a problem."

Another puffed out a strong gust of thick smoky air. Kaiba bit back a very old reflex to gag. "Shouldn't even give it a second thought. Have you seen the way he walks?" The question was dripping with disgust. "What he wears? It's all over the news. Sickening."

The group snickered to themselves. Kaiba felt his nerves rising. His hands curled into his arms, crossed already to hide the action. It got worse when the attention was suddenly on him. "You sure you want a fairy like him representing your tech, Kaiba?"

"Not good for the kids." One of them concurred, shaking his head and clucking his tongue. "How can they be out buying if he's teaching them to bend over and take it in their spare time?" Another round of laughter.

Kaiba had had just about enough. "Are you questioning my ability to pick my talent?" His tone had dropped to threatening- if only to preserve his image. No one questioned him or Kaiba Corporation. He surely wasn't defending Atem. And certainly not because they were sleeping together. Not that anyone had that information, and if he had his way, no one ever would.

The narrow of his eyes helped to sober the group up from their tittering. "Er- no. It's just that-" A brave one tried to fix the error.

"You're free to sever ties and sell back your stock if you'd like." A pithy one percent. Kaiba kept most of the stock underneath his own belt. He didn't need any more screw ups after Pegasus and that idiot Siegfried. He owned his own destiny. And he didn't need buy ins to help him out. But sometimes it served him well to throw bones to the dogs.

"N-no!" And the protest was just as swift. What a mistake that would be. He'd end up blacklisted, no doubt. By Kaiba that was a death sentence.

Kaiba stared him down. "Then cease your useless drivel concerning him." The group shuffled a bit awkwardly. One of the eldest was the only one to have the courage to speak up.

"...may I ask why you bother bringing him, then?" Kaiba had hoped that wouldn't come out. At a business dinner it was fine. Learning the ropes. Sure. He could pass off that faulty excuse. Here?

Kaiba smirked, a close of his eyes, that signature 'hn'. "I'm tired of your vultures coming in and ruining our conversations." He allowed a glance at Atem who was smiling, perhaps he'd just told a joke, the women were all giggling. A twitch of jealousy moved through him, but it was completely invisible outwardly. "And I'm sick of you lot using them as an excuse to talk about business."

The group avoided his eyes. No one wanted to take him on. They all took awkward, quiet sips of their drinks. "...it is a party.." He could barely tell who even dared say that to him, they were all blending in by this point.

"Barely." Kaiba ground out, as if he had any authority on parties. He never showed up to them, useless endeavors. He'd already paid enough face time after getting that useless sniveling coward to grovel to him. He turned on his heel, leaving the men frowning in his wake.

Atem was still busy chatting up the women that were surrounding him, a little flush in the face. Too much drink, but to his own surprise he was having a decent time. These women, as it turned out, knew a little about Duel Monsters. No easier way to talk to anyone for him. Kaiba storming up to him with a very dark look on his face snapped his attention back where it deserved to be, though. "What's the matter?" He was still very aware that he had to walk on ice during these things. Even though he'd barely interacted with the businessmen of the evening, the look Kaiba was giving him was telling him he'd somehow screwed things up.

"We're leaving." The only explanation before Kaiba turned again for the door. Atem would follow. He had to. As if he wanted to stay behind at this idiot fest.

Atem frowned, but in the end had no choice. He bid the women a quick goodbye before jogging up to meet Kaiba's stride and stay by his side. Once they were outside he breathed in a large gulp of fresh air. Almost everyone in that party had a cigarette or a cigar in their hand. It had taken a lot out of him not to have to leave just to breathe. The silence once they got to the car was even worse. He just had to ask. "...did I do something wrong?"

"No. For a change." The way Atem walked was not enough of an indicator that something was wrong. Or that he had done something wrong. Kaiba had never had a problem with the way Atem sauntered. The way he swung his hips when he walked... It certainly wasn't worth discussing. Atem didn't need to know.

"Then what's the matter?" But Kaiba's gloomy and angry demeanor couldn't be ignored. He was sure if he had done something, the CEO would have said it by now. But then what had left him so upset?

"Nothing that concerns you." This was why they couldn't go public. And later when Atem tried to lay that on him, as Kaiba was sure he would, he would bring this up. It was damaging. He'd never questioned his own sexuality before now. He'd known what it could do but... it had just never been that important. Atem was with him. That was all. But now...

A swell of panic rose. Those men would talk, even if Kaiba had scared them for the evening. They'd talk about Atem and his hips, the way he talked with ease to the women. They'd call him names. It would get out. Kaiba looked at Atem out of the corner of his eye, hands gripping the wheel of the car tightly. It wasn't his reputation he was worried about, it was Atem's. He could stomp out media interference. Most of it. Isono would have to be put on detail. He needed to...

...protect Atem. This was his fault. Getting involved. Letting Atem come. Both of them went hand in hand. And this had the potential to get very ugly. Yet he didn't want to talk about it with the man who was going to be targeted. He wanted Atem in the dark. ...mostly because he couldn't even imagine how to have that sort of conversation.

When Atem looked at him he realized he'd been frowning tightly letting silence go on. "You did well, tonight." If it wasn't his hair or his clothes it would have been anything else. This was just another bump in the road. Those men wanted to pick on those weaker than them. That was the way the world was. Kaiba knew it, but he had expected Atem to be stronger. Not that he wasn't, but.. talk of sexuality was not something he'd planned on.

Damn Atem and his hips. If he'd just instructed him a little better. If he'd just fought a little more for him to wear the suit pants...

"I don't feel like that's true." Not with the way Kaiba looked. Focused on something so far away from him- yet looking at him every other moment. Hands tight. Chest rising and falling unnaturally. He was panicking about something, a very unusual sight. Something had happened. But if it was business exclusive, then he really hadn't done anything, and he wouldn't be able to fix it, either.

The air in the car was suddenly worse than that of the party. Kaiba refused to look at him the rest of the ride. Atem didn't know what had broken. He just felt like something had. And the mounting feeling that whatever it was was going to be important. Eventually.


	7. Arguments

_**Content Warning: Slight sexual content, very very slight dub-con\non-con.**_

It had all started in such a uselessly stupid way, like most things did. One thing piled up on the other on the other until it crumbled under a weak structure. Sometimes their relationship felt that way. No strength. Just ridiculousness and petty behavior. Easily bent and broken. Once he left the office, walked around and cooled off, Atem would think twice. And once Atem did walk angrily out the doors, Kaiba would stew, brood, and then feel a creeping sense of desperate panic, but be unable to act on it.

Days without sleep were to blame. As well as subsisting only on coffee. Not getting enough work done. Atem walking around like he owned everything. The much smaller man had perched himself on a corner of Kaiba's desk, trying to draw attention to himself. If he'd just wanted to hang around quietly he'd have sat on the couch and done puzzles. No. Instead he walked right in, letting the doors swing closed after him with a light push that was somehow hard enough to get them to smack loudly in the frame. And he moved right to the desk and sat. With a smirk. The cocky little bastard.

And Kaiba had ignored him, as he had every right to do. No one had invited him. No one even wanted him- obviously, else why would he be in the office in the first place? Kaiba didn't need his presence, and his friends must not have either. Pathetic.

The moment Atem picked on the dark circles underneath the man's eyes, or the sharper angles of his face that indicated weight loss that couldn't be spared, Kaiba started snarling. Started implying. That his worth wasn't as high as he seemed to think. That he was taking up too much space in the office- or that he was, indeed, a waste of space. That no one, least of all Kaiba himself, needed that lousy pity (that he knew to be carefully well placed concern only after Atem had stormed out). That he was useless. Small and easily crushed.

Atem wasn't the sort of man who took that kind of abuse, not even from someone he supposedly had been able to call a lover. Kaiba wasn't an easy man to deal with. He'd really have been as stupid as Kaiba was implying if he had waltzed into this relationship thinking that. But he hardly expected the tongue lashing he'd received. There was only so much that he could take, that he could pass off as Kaiba being tired, behind schedule, and not up to par. Only so much. And once that point was passed with Kaiba going in for personal insults, he stood his ground. He got angry. He imagined stomping Kaiba on the duel field with his Gods, or his Black Magician smacking the man straight in the face while he was wide open for attack with his staff.

Instead after they both has started a shouting match that all the secretaries on the top floor could hear for sure, they breathed heavily at the other. Daring the other to start the next round. Make the next hit. Intense stares of absolute hatred and loathing. All Atem had wanted to do was spend time. Just a little bit of time- and had ended up concerned for Kaiba's health, as he had every right to do.

And in one swift move, neither was sure who moved, things escalated. Kaiba was sure Atem had inched closer with the intent to strike. Atem was sure Kaiba had reached for him first, grabbing a fist full of his hair while his fists found a good spot against Kaiba's chest once pulled so hard. So hard that it hurt. It sent waves of pain down his spine, and it didn't stop. Kaiba refused to let go, even as Atem growled, and a kiss was initiated. All teeth.

They bit. They drew blood. It was so very angry. And Atem was almost subdued by it. Not in the way that he was going to stop, just that he didn't want to fight with words. But who the hell was Kaiba to just do that to him? He wanted no part of it. And the moment he was able to angle his head away from another bite on his lip, he voiced his distaste with a hard spat word. "Stop." Commanding as he had every right. But caught up in a gasp that was more than just air between them when Kaiba went for his neck, moved his hands up along his body. It felt electric.

But Kaiba couldn't heed it. Stop? Who was Atem to tell him what to do? It was another challenge, like everything else. And he was going to rise to it. He was going to put that little idiot in his place- face down on his desk, and fucked hard. It was too late to stop now, and he even managed to push Atem, twisting his arm against his back. Atem wanted it, he was sure, with the way his hips moved back.

That was until he realized with how much force he was moving. And the fog lifted with Atem's shout. Different from the anger before. It was... anxious. Scared, almost. "Get the hell off of me!" Kaiba's attention snapped to and he almost fumbled backwards a few uneasy steps. This was a play never made. Once they started this game it never stopped until they were both finished. Atem had never...

Kaiba stood there, frozen as he watched Atem wrench his shoulder back with a grimace. Saw the dark red marks on his upper arm that were sure to turn into angry bruises. On his neck. The blood trail on his lip to his chin. And the absolute disgust in his eyes that he was suddenly faced with. How could he have lost so much focus? His control had snapped underneath pressure and anger and the sureness that Atem was challenging him to continue- not to really stop. He could have...

Atem stared at him for a few moments more. Angrier than he'd been before, even with the insults. "What's the matter with you?!" This was worse. Kaiba had almost physically tried to force his dominance. And he was small. So much smaller than the CEO. He was shorter and not as strong. If Kaiba had had a mind to do so, things wouldn't have ended. He knew Kaiba was not that sort of man. He'd always placed his trust in him, and thought it not to be wrong to do so. Kaiba wasn't like that. But the thought was terrifying. Kaiba had always been an aggressive man but this was going entirely too far.

He wasn't without full blame, he thought. He'd given in for a few moments. And that had been very wrong of him. Engulfed by Kaiba's aura. He was just as disgusted with himself. Stepping forward he was still just as displeased when Kaiba stood his ground. Staring him down. Judging. As if to say 'there's nothing wrong with ME'. That unbelievably frustrating man. Kaiba probably should have been apologizing. But Atem knew that was on the bottom of the list of most unlikely things Kaiba would ever do. Even after this. Which made him wonder. Was this really even worth it? Worth the fight when things so easily dissolved in seconds?

Setting himself straight he pushed past Kaiba, physically, just to make his point. Kaiba didn't make a sound, and almost wanted to stand there as an impenetrable force, but finally better judgement called to him and he moved aside. Allowing Atem to leave. To walk out of his life for good, he was sure.

He would have let it happen, after that. What choice did he have?


	8. Please

It took long months to repair what had been utterly and completely devastated. Pride from both sides made it that much harder, but Atem knew it wasn't up to him to fix anything. Truly, he had decided, that if things were worth salvaging, Kaiba would find a way. Even when apologizing seemed entirely too hard for him. No more visits to the office. No more visits to the park. Atem had made up his mind not to go anywhere Kaiba would be so that an easy convenience could not be counted towards why things got mended. He had made up his mind, his resolve was strong. But it broke, oh so easily.

Kaiba began hovering after a few long weeks. When he was sure Atem simply had had too much and really wasn't coming back. But they were rivals. First and always. And while the little idiot could be a coward and not come face the problem head on, Kaiba could come get him. Dueling was what started this. And that connection could not be broken, even if their relationship might have indeed been over. Something that Kaiba truly didn't want but couldn't find it in himself to take the knee to remedy. Even if he wanted to. He just couldn't. Absolutely could not. Love, the ridiculous notion, and he was not even sure that he had love to spare outside of Mokuba (much less that he did love Atem), only made you weak. Perhaps he was better off without the extra add ons that Atem's appearances caused.

Atem, King of Games that he was, could not refuse the challenge. Especially when it so visibly caught him off guard right in the middle of a busy street. Already then cameras were pulled, phones were recording- quite a sight to see. But he really had not expected Kaiba to make a dramatic entrance and challenge him so. Not after what he'd done. It was a gesture that enticed him into anger all over again. And he hadn't wanted to be angry. The duel field was an appropriate place to take out all that frustration, though, as he'd imagined a month ago beating Kaiba down for his crimes. And that was just what he did, but Kaiba was brutal, more so than usual. He'd been tweaking his deck, maybe even since Atem had left. There were some new surprising things that almost threw him completely off guard.

But in the end things landed where they always did. A defeated and incensed Kaiba and a victorious Atem. But the victory felt a little hollow. Because now he could not follow Kaiba back to the office, or lead him to the apartment. He had nowhere to vent this new frustration. This tension. Especially because he was still so angry. Challenging him to a duel did not fix the mistakes that had been made. So instead of walking up to him as they had started doing, he fell back into a much older habit. Following his friends home. It was refreshing and nostalgic. He left Kaiba simmering, stewing in the mess he'd created. And sitting alone long hours after he was sure things were going to end. He was not responsible for what had happened, and it seemed like Kaiba had made a play to go back to normalcy. Rivals on the field. And that was all.

The ache it left in his chest was intense. Dull panic. That he wanted to go to him and make things right. But it was not his place to do so. That was all on Kaiba. And he was damn sure that was never going to happen. At least he had been, until Kaiba started hovering. Showing up in spots that he never should have been. Outside of their time together, Kaiba could be counted on being only in a few exclusive locations- mostly where he couldn't be bothered. The office or his mansion. Sometimes rarely in the park if he had business there. Expensive restaurants where business dinners were held. Maybe off in other countries if he needed to do work there. But all places that common people had no business.

Not near the Game Shop. Not near Atem's apartment. Not some silly little coffee place. What was Isono for, after all, if not to fetch coffee? His presence was hard to ignore, mostly because he was so damn awkward. He stood out in spots like these. And looked just as uncomfortable as everyone else around him who were being gestured to be quiet and good enough not to pull their phones out to capture the moment by his security team. It only made him stand out more. And the longer Atem tried to ignore it, the more ridiculous it became. Eventually, months after the long chase had begun, he couldn't take it any longer.

He had just come out of a shop with a ice cold frappuccino in hand, and Kaiba was busy yelling at Isono for something. That the coffee was terrible, probably, since it was so low class. He stood a good distance enough away not to get into confrontation, but even that was small, just short of Kaiba being able to reach out and grab him if he had had a mind to. "You can hardly blame Isono for your choice of location." His tone had all the implications. And the dying question 'why are you following me around'. After Battle City it had... almost stopped fazing him. That Kaiba knew when and where to get his attention. He really never thought about it for too long.

Kaiba turned swiftly on heel, leveling a glare at him. "Please." Spat out. Judgmental, eying that disgusting brew in Atem's hands. "If I had my usual supply I wouldn't be caught dead in a low class establishment like this. It's embarrassing enough that you come here alone." For his reputation, of course. It was almost like things were normal- before the spit fire relationship. Just rivals. Normal. So very normal. Except that he'd maybe rehearsed this scenario a few times in his head. Atem couldn't ignore him forever, after all. Not that he'd gone out of his way to get Atem's attention. That was so very stupid a thing to even imply. And because it was being thrown at him, he could only roll his eyes at it. How dumb. People chased after him, not the other way around.

"You could send Isono out for you." His eyes softened just a little, a look directed at the personal assistant. He often felt sorry for the man. But this was the life he'd chosen. Surely if he hated it he would have left by now. "Weren't you always growling at me that work had to be done? You've been out of the office quite a lot lately." Skeptical as he knew he had every right to be. Kaiba was following him, after all. And if he could just get him to admit it... maybe. Maybe things could move then.

"Your delusions are running high these days, are they?" Still sneering. This was hardly the way to fix something (that he didn't care about any longer, surely, truly), but he couldn't help himself. Atem pissed him off. That know it all attitude. "Whomever you think you've seen around it wasn't me. And I'm insulted that you think otherwise." Because who could be confused for the great, mighty Kaiba Seto?

Atem's eyes narrowed, nerves flaring. Oh how that man just dug right under his skin. "I've seen you. You've been following me around." For sure. He knew it. There was no other.

"Prove it." A cruel smirk. There was no evidence. No way Atem would be able to do something like that. Especially not with his team all over media coverage. There was no evidence. And he wanted to watch Atem flounder in his explanation for why he'd been on his mind. Because he missed him. Kaiba would get him to admit it.

Flustered already, he bristled. "You're unbelievable." Kaiba tracked him down for months, made random appearances, and now had the audacity to imply him senile? Why had he been enamored with the fact that Kaiba had been hovering? He was a fantastic asshole. So he turned away. This wasn't worth salvaging. Especially not if Kaiba couldn't even admit ANYTHING.

"Running already, coward? Surely being faced with your delusions isn't a new feeling." Kaiba couldn't let him go. That creeping sense of anxiousness was swelling, not that he felt things like that. Denial ran so very deep.

He was being challenged and after being so angry he couldn't bottle it up any longer. The walls cracked before being rushed through by the dam of emotion. His drink was left to the sidewalk as he moved close enough to reach out. "You and I both know you've been following me around because you aren't as cold as you like to pretend. Somewhere. Somewhere in you, deep, deep inside you've been trying to fix things that YOU broke." This was useless. He could tell by the way Kaiba scoffed. Anyone else would be deterred. But the look in his eyes was something only Atem could read. "How long was this going to go on until I decided to call you out for it? Years? The only one who is a coward here is you. You aren't man enough to even admit anything." Dripping with acid. And the word 'pathetic' right on his tongue. That was until he realized the stares from pedestrians.

As did Kaiba, and it was very obvious in the way he stiffened, tensed, and wanted to keep this from being as public as it was getting with Atem's inane ramblings. Once Isono moved, he reached forward to get a grab of Atem's shirt, even through the fighting, and throw him into the nearby car. It was not exactly how he'd envisioned things going, more physical brutality, but it had to be done. Even with Atem shouting for Kaiba to release him. "You've drawn enough attention, don't you think?" The car door shut behind him.

Atem acted like a caged animal immediately, back against the corner of the car, shoulders wide. Puffing out. How dare he? "Stop following me. Don't come near me anymore. And if you want another damn duel you can find me on the tournament circuits. I'm through taking-" The abuse. The EVERYTHING. Kaiba was too tough a man to work with.

"Stop." The command was less of a command and more of a ... hard plea. Even though it was nowhere near a question. Atem would cease in his ramblings. And when it did enough to get that little mouth to shut up and only a glare, he drew a tight breath in. He just wanted to smother everything. It was hard not to reach over and drag him in again. "I may have been out a few places." May. He wasn't admitting anything. And he could see from Atem's unimpressed reaction that that just wasn't going to be enough. Struggles began. He just... wasn't trained for this sort of thing.

If his side of the car hadn't been locked (and he had stealthily tried to open it) he might have left. This was a pathetic display indeed. But a part of his anger was chipping away. Pathetic as it was- Kaiba was trying. It was awkward and odd and kind of off putting, but ... he couldn't make the anger stay. He didn't want to do all of the fixing. But it had been an accident, hadn't it? Somewhere along the way challenges between them had caused mixed wires. And that hadn't been the first time they'd moved into something intimate because of something else much heated and angry. Kaiba hadn't been trying to hurt him. If he had, he would have walked away with more than just a bruise on his arm.

It hadn't been right but... had it been completely wrong, either? His resolve cracked in that moment, watching the brunet fumble around so spectacularly. ...had he been talking that entire time? Shit. "Stop already." Atem said, sounding a little defeated. His eyes closed. "Just stop it." It was too much for him. Kaiba seemed so incapable of apologizing- with words, at the very least. But in his own Kaiba Seto way, this whole thing had been apologizing. Allowing for Atem to attack him ferociously in a duel to get the most of his anger out, and then following him around like his shadow. It was stupid and really, truly pathetic. But it was just the way Kaiba did things. Even if his damn mouth and quick reactions of denial had served to make things even worse.

But Kaiba didn't realize this as Atem's will leaving him. He realized it as an actual goodbye. And the hardness seeped back in. His step father's words buzzing around him in an angry cloud. He'd been an absolute fool to allow Atem in over his wall. This whole time he'd had reservations. Now he knew they'd all been right. "Get out." Atem wasn't going to be the one to make the move, though. Kaiba was going to throw him out of his life by force and leave it at that. Never look back.

"I said stop." Atem was ten miles ahead of that strategy. Watching those eyes ice over was more of an indicator than anything else. That look of hatred he'd only been privy to a few times, and he wanted it to stop immediately. To try and ease the problem he reached out, as upsetting as it was that he had to. But it wasn't Kaiba trying to make him fix things himself any longer. He was severely misguided. And he watched that expression move into discomfort, tensing and pulling back a small amount before allowing Atem to reach up to brush his fingers over his skin. "Not because I'm finished, but because I'm tired." Nothing had ever been more true. So tired.

And in that moment Kaiba saw it. The sag of his shoulders, his features, and the frown that he couldn't do anything but mirror. He'd done this. And he was too incapable of fixing it. Letting Atem go, or forcing him out, might have been better for him. But Kaiba was a very selfish man, and things that were his, were his for as long as he could keep them in his hands. He wanted to say sorry in that moment, but he still could not. Instead he did the only thing he could thing, pulling Atem's hand back to get him closer and kissed him. And the smaller man mumbled another stop between their lips, he didn't want to. But Kaiba's insistence swallowed him up. He was tired and wanted nothing more than the pseudo-softness Kaiba was trying to offer. If nothing else, that was an apology.

He slipped easily onto Kaiba's lap, arms around his neck, and kissed him back in the same slow fashion. He couldn't seem to muster much else, even if somehow it was needy all the same. He tried to hold back, because he really didn't want to do all the work. This was Kaiba coming to him, it had been, not the other way around. And he was keen to prove it. That was almost not as hard as it seemed when Kaiba moved him back against the seat of the limo, hovering over, offering soft nips against his skin. The collar and his shirt were removed quicker than he ever remembered being done before, just so that Kaiba could get more of him. And in that moment he lost all of his resolve. Kaiba had won again. Got off without a verbal apology.

Atem had known it was never going to happen.

Things were slow, like the first time they'd encountered each other on this side of the field. When Kaiba had insisted that Atem was fool for trusting him, but had encouraged the man to hold on to it when his fingers entered him, only wetted by saliva. It had been so long since they'd done things that Atem was entirely grateful for the slow frenzy. Kaiba's mouth was still all over him, drawing gasps and half hitched noises out of his throat. He was such a failure. He gave in so easily. He just couldn't beat himself up over it when Kaiba hooked his fingers up, his hips raised impatiently and a single disgusting word was torn from him.

"_Please-_"

Please faster. Please more. Please anything but this frustrating pace. It had been enough at first but now he couldn't deal with it. And the way he felt Kaiba staring at him, eyes zeroing in, his face heated up. He looked up, watching Kaiba's stare on him. The blue of his eyes almost engulfed entirely by his pupils. Predator, and Atem was the easy prey. And he repeated the action to try and get Atem to do it again. The word had been like a jolt to his system- right to his cock. He was begging. And it was a beautiful shade on him.

Atem seemed to refuse, biting his lips instead, but the groan was real and deep. Kaiba tried to get him to let up with a confusingly soft kiss. And just when he was sure Atem wasn't paying attention to keeping quiet anymore, he did it again, moving up deep inside of him. "_Seto- pl-_" He stopped short but it was enough.

Enough that Kaiba moved in the space of the car to shed his lower clothing and wet his palm with saliva before trying to slick himself and then entered. Slow again. He couldn't risk hurting Atem after ... well, hurting him. But after only a few seconds Atem's legs came around him, pulling him. Insistent. Greedy. Kaiba hadn't wanted to turn this into frantic fucking, but he couldn't help himself. Atem was so tight and so willing to take all of him. It was everything he'd expected from his rival. As usual. Eventually he couldn't stop the sounds either, but they had no definite shapes. Just guttural groans.

But he quieted himself so that he could hear Atem, the much more vocal. "_Ah-hah-_" It became entirely too much. And with a deep strike, helped with the right angle of his own hips, he couldn't hold back any longer. "_Seto-!"_ And just like that he came, without any real warning. They both were perhaps lucky that it had been so long since their last. Kaiba had always been very persistent in making sure Atem fell first. Lost. To him. This time had been no different.

But he wasn't far behind. There was a noise in the form of Atem's name, definitely Atem was sure, hidden behind the bury of his lips against Atem's shoulder. A few more thrusts that had Atem drifting far, far away- so much so that when he thought he heard a very conspicuously whispered word that sounded awfully a lot like 'sorry', he wasn't entirely sure it was truth. Probably just his addled mind. But if he pretended. And added it in to everything else.

Maybe that was enough.


	9. Clothing

Almost exactly a half hour after Atem had seated himself in Kaiba's office, the doors opened. It was a day like any other in a long line of the nothingness that happened very often. Between hanging out with his friends and tournaments, life alongside Kaiba seemed... almost boring. Almost, if one could forget the heated dueling and the even more intense arguing. It wasn't that he hated it, it was just nearly predictable. Nearly- he found himself thinking- as every time it got this way, something seemed to inevitably appear out of the blue and stir things up.

This time it was in the form of Isono holding a package in his arms once he got through the doors. Atem watched the small look that passed between both the assistant and the CEO at the desk, typing stalled so that he could give Isono a nod. And then the man strode forward before bending so that he could hand the package in his arms to Atem. None of it made sense to him, and the confusion was clear cut across his face. If anything, this felt like trouble. And in that moment of realization he knew Kaiba was smirking at him.

However, this was tripping up Isono's time. And the longer he stood there awkwardly holding out that brown box, he started to sweat. He was wasting precious seconds, and if Atem did not relent, he was sure his boss would eventually get frustrated and begin yelling. "Atem-san." He tried to prod. Dropping the box on the man's lap would be incredibly rude.

"What is it?" Atem still wasn't sure that accepting it was a good idea. Almost like if he reached out to take it, he was signing away a piece of something. A signature on an important piece of paper- agreeing to a game that he was unaware of the rules. That never boded well. Especially when it was Kaiba pulling the strings.

"I don't know." Stated succinctly and truthfully. He really didn't. He'd only been instructed much earlier that morning to receive the package, bring it in, give it to Atem and leave. It was supposed to be an easy job. Isono usually always agreed with Kaiba, but Atem never seemed to be as much trouble as Seto-sama often angrily vented about. ...now he was rethinking that, if only a little. He bent a little more, offering just a bit further. As if to say 'please' with a very stretched tone, without having to speak the words and look so foolish.

Atem's lips pulled in a thin line. This had trouble written all over it! But, if nothing else, these things were hardly ever Isono's fault. He just got caught up in Kaiba's ridiculousness. So, left with that alone, he reached out and took the box. The breath of relief that came from the assistant was just as suspicious, as was his quick exit out of the office. And with the box in his lap, no real markings on it, nothing to give away the contents, all he could do was look up at Kaiba.

Kaiba, who now had put the side of his face against the back of his hand, elbow resting up on the desk, and was watching with an intent look. And a damning smirk. Something about this was terribly amusing, and when it came to Kaiba, that was more often than not several red flags in a row.

"What did you do?" Was all he could think to ask. Not what was inside, because he was sure if he asked that there would be some snarky remark at how easy it would be to figure that out for himself. So, what was Kaiba setting up here? What was the game?

The smirk grew crueler, but there was a warm look in his eyes. He was waiting. Patiently. "I'm starting to think there are some wrong wires crossed in that head of yours." He said as if he were pointing out something fairly obvious. "It's a box. You open it." 'Idiot' implied in the tone.

His unamused look grew tenfold. Kaiba was having fun. That was very off-putting. He suddenly wanted nothing more than to dump the box on his desk and leave. It might have saved him the trouble. And he could have gone on asking Kaiba to tell him the secrets that he couldn't figure out, but there was no point to that either. The only thing to do now was to charge in. Using the sharp points of his nails, he delicately tore open the tape lining and opened the flaps. Inside, underneath a few very crinkly sheets of tissue paper, were two articles of clothing.

The first he pulled out was a new jacket. Black. Brushed leather. It smelled wonderful. The shoulders were a bit accentuated, and when he picked it up out of the package to see all of it, he could see the back edges flared out a bit. The design was beautiful. A few intricate inlays of silver color. The buttons on the front seemed overly large, probably more artistic style. He was almost entirely overjoyed that he put it on immediately. But then he stopped dead.

This was not a present from Yuugi, or Jonouchi, or Anzu, Honda- someone that he trusted would not have an ulterior motive. This was from Kaiba. And he was still wearing that bastardly look on his face. "What is this?" Asked accusingly so suddenly, the jacket held out as if Kaiba couldn't see his good work. It was no doubt very expensive, perhaps even custom.

"A jacket, you moron." Spat out, but he still looked amused. "School's been out for a long time, I don't know who you've been trying to fool." A small snort, a light chuckle. Atem's fashion sense was often questionable, if nothing else. And toting around that school uniform had just become ridiculous after a long while. Didn't he ever want to wear anything else?

Atem's cheeks colored, a little with embarrassment, a little with anger. Kaiba was playing at something still, even if the insult was on par with his regular attitude. He'd never thought of wearing the school jacket around as strange. No one ever commented on it. He barely even thought of it. ...should he have? Was it that weird? After another few moments he looked conflicted. This was... nice. A gift. And while he was still highly suspicious, he moved to stand so that he could slip that school jacket off his shoulders and put on the new one.

It fit so perfectly. Contoured to every line it was supposed to. Kaiba stood then, coming around the desk so that he could inspect his good work. He pulled on the front, making sure it was snugly up on Atem's frame. And then he reached down into the box to get the second item, something that caught Atem off guard yet again. What he came back out with looked like a brand new collar. It put Atem in an awkward spot, he knew Kaiba hated them. Knew the reason. And yet here he was, standing behind him, hooking it on.

The buckle was in the back, however, which was strange. Usually he wore them in the front for stylish effect. He didn't even get to see much of it before it was already snapped snugly onto his neck. Kaiba's fingers brushed his skin before stepping back, arms crossed, and looking at him with such fascination. He felt on the spot.

"What was the point of all of this?" Even after all of that he couldn't help but feel like he was being led somewhere dangerous. Accepting gifts from Kaiba? What was he supposed to do in return? Something here was not right.

Kaiba raised his hands along Atem's shoulders, flattening out the jacket some more. The look in his eyes had changed. "You don't like them?" He couldn't even feign a hurt tone. He couldn't care less whether or not Atem cared for a jacket and a collar. Honestly.

"That's not what I said." Stubbornly stated. It's not like Kaiba's feeling were ample to be hurt even if he did. And he was starting to lose focus the way those hands were moving over him. He'd gotten so much closer. Down then, over his hips. Atem drew in a breath. Something was not right.

Kaiba was invading his space. "Then shut up." Ordering him to quit his nonsense before pulling him in for a kiss. He grew much rougher in only a manner of seconds. But something was different about it. He was being careful around the clothing. It made some sort of sense, they were new, most likely expensive. But it was the way he was doing it-

Usually early on Kaiba attempted to get to his neck. What was the point of putting on a new collar if he was just going to rip it off? And that was when Atem realized he wasn't moving for it. The jacket had slipped off his shoulders, pooling along his crooked arms. Instead of tugging the strip of leather off, Kaiba's lips were simply moving along top of it, over his skin. The intensity was the same, though, avid biting. Sucking. Trying to make marks, but something about it was just off.

And it was when he realized that Kaiba's other hand not on his hip was brushing over the collar. Admiring it. That was when he snapped to, out of the daze he'd been so easily subdued into, and stepped away. This wasn't right. And when he reached up to take off the collar, still slightly breathless from such a short endeavor, he realized what was going on. The jacket was let go off his body as well.

"You think that's clever?" Sharp and accusatory, holding up the new collar as if Kaiba didn't know what he'd done. The buckle hadn't been in front because there was a decal waiting to be shown off. A very clear cut symbol, bright white against the black leather.

K.C.

He was willing to bet it was somewhere on the jacket, too. Probably in giant letters on the back. Kaiba was so very predictable at times. ...yet he'd been completely confused for much too long a time in this particular instance.

Kaiba came closer, laughing darkly. "It looks good on you." As his marks so often did. But no one could ignore that.

Atem stood his ground but the collar was tossed- just a few fractions of strength of being thrown- to Kaiba. Just to get it away from him. "You're so unbelievably ridiculous." So completely. Honestly. What went on in that head sometimes? Kaiba needed to stake his claim on him in every way possible. Was he really that obsessed?

"I think as a Kaiba Corporation employee it's time you start wearing the proper attire." After all, everyone in the building and in the public eye had something like that. A pin, a band, a badge. If they belonged to Kaiba, the world had to know it. And Atem... Atem certainly did. Bruises on his neck were beautiful, but this was even better than he could have imagined. Atem had looked striking with that collar.

"There's something wrong with you." As if he hadn't known that by now. Kaiba barely even seemed touched by the statement, twisting the collar in his hands. The look in his eyes then was slightly far away. Atem knew he was still picturing him standing in the middle of his office with that symbol around his neck. "Fantasizing me on my knees, are you?" Disgusting.

"Not even close." Because what did he need that for when Atem had just been openly displaying the fact that he belonged to him. It was better than anything Kaiba could think of.

Atem let a frustrated noise fly from him before turning on heel. "It was a waste of money." He intended to leave. More than enough adventure for one day.

"Wrong again." And when Atem turned to look at him, the slightest bit questioning, all he could do was smirk again. He'd have to roll back the security footage a few times. Else there was no way he'd be able to get any work done tonight.


	10. Music

The whole point of dragging Kaiba away from his computer, away from work, away from the tower and all the way back to either of their homes was so that they could spend time together. This often happened in long bouts of unconsciousness. The times when Kaiba was most vulnerable and able to let Atem go home with him, were when he was days on a coffee diet and without sleep. So when the little idiot swooped in, it was too much for him to take the badgering under weeks' worth of stress and ache.

So Atem had gone into the office at quarter past ten. He'd sat on the couch and watched Kaiba drift into nothingness. He'd gotten up, taken his arm and argued lightly with him for a few moments until the CEO gave in. They'd sat in the car driven by Isono. They'd gone back to the manor. They'd gone up to the master bedroom. They'd had sex. And they'd fallen asleep together.

That was supposed to be the end of it. They'd sleep until late in the afternoon when Kaiba woke up and rushed. And yelled that Atem was a nuisance and that he didn't have time to be lazing around. That was the normal route. It was what Atem had been expecting, and why he'd been so sound asleep in the comfort of Kaiba's arms. So much so that the chirp of Kaiba's cell phone had failed to even rouse him a little.

But stirred Kaiba, who was notoriously a light sleeper. Atem's warmth was distracting, though, and he willed it away. At least he tried. But the buzzing and the noise became more insistent and eventually he had to slide that smaller body away from him. Atem's groan had a light feeling of guilt assaulting him, but he ignored it in favor of his phone on the bedside table. And once he read the texts on his screen he got on his feet, shuffled on a robe and left the room.

Atem stayed asleep for a few minutes more. He reached out, expecting Kaiba's form to be turned away from him. His fingers spread along the bedtop, the sheets, the covers. Up over the pillows. He couldn't find him. It was startling enough for him to finally open his eyes and sit up. Alone. In the master bedroom of the Kaiba Mansion. This normally wouldn't be a problem. If he couldn't get himself started in the morning after Kaiba left, he'd be left here.

But it was dark. Still night time. Surely Kaiba hadn't gone back to the office and left him alone. There hadn't been an emergency, had there? It was the only explanation he could think of. He realized he had no want to be in this house alone in the darkness. So he got to his feet, naked still and moved to the front of the room so he could turn the light switch on. And once he did that he got to the task of dressing himself.

What to do then? He couldn't walk home. He'd have to call a car. And if Kaiba was at the office, Isono would be too. Isono was the only one he was okay with calling for help, out of Kaiba's aides. Frustrated, he sighed out, running a hand through his hair. Maybe a midnight snack would fix things. So downstairs he went, intent on raiding the fridge that was no doubt well stocked despite the fact that anyone hardly even lived there.

Once he rounded the corner of the stairs on the first floor, the mystery of where Kaiba had disappeared to was promptly solved. The answer was almost better than him having gone to the office, but it was still the same bottom line. Work. He was in his private office, door open, and fingers furiously moving along his keyboard. He looked deep in concentration, the dark circles under his eyes accentuated by the glow of the computer screen. He hadn't even bothered to turn the light on.

Atem sighed, tempted to go in there and bother him. But if he hadn't gone back to the office, it must have meant that he had a mind to return back to bed. Which was good news. Now all Atem had to do was wait. And he could have gone back to bed to do so. But he was well awake now and his craving for junk food had subsided. So instead he turned from the office and...

Walked. Aimlessly. The mansion was huge. And he'd barely seen any of it. The foyer. The private office. The kitchen. The sitting room in front. Kaiba's room. Mokuba's room. And that was really it. He never had much need to see any more of it, after all. He was barely ever there. Kaiba had warned him once or twice not to snoop. But this was hardly snooping.

The moonlight was strong, drawing him deeper down a hallway and into what looked to be a forgotten ballroom of sorts- at least that's what Atem would have called it. Hard marble floors, a chandelier up top, chairs lining the walls. Tables. Everything was dusty, especially a large black piano bathing in the same pale light as everything else. Atem wondered if Gozaburo had hosted parties here. It would have made sense. And it made even more sense that this room was so unused. He just couldn't help but go over to the large windows and sit himself on the bench of the piano.

He moved his fingers over the dusty keys, not actually putting pressure. How far away was he from the office? Would Kaiba hear him touching it? ...better question, would he get mad?

Atem decided in one quick move that he hardly cared. Putting both hands on the ivory, he pressed down a few keys. He had no clue how to play a piano. Or any instrument, really. But to his credit, he made a sort-of harmony. He moved his fingers that way, over the white ones, over some of the black ones. All disconnected. No real melody. But it didn't sound half bad.

Not as bad as the footsteps down the hall, making him realize he had dragged Kaiba out of his office. "What are you doing?" The brunet came closer across the floor, robe flowing behind him as if it were one of his trench coats. "You're making too much noise." He'd finished up what he'd had to do, not that Atem needed to know that. He'd told that pest never to wander too far or stick his nose where it wasn't wanted.

"Did I bother you?" He looked up after resting his spread fingers along the pressed keys. Kaiba looked tired still. So was he.

He looked entirely unamused. "Why else would I have come down here? The sound carries, you know." Stated like Atem was a toddler. Because he was sure acting like one.

Atem looked at him for a moment longer, lingering on his face before he dropped his eyes back down to the keys. "Do you know how to play it?"

A sound of disgust moved from Kaiba's throat. "Useless endeavors. Instruments are a waste of time." A strong denial.

And one that sounded familiar to Atem. "That's not an answer." He looked behind him as Kaiba approached, rounding and leaning down over him. The soft contact was nice.

"Go back to bed." Murmured in his ear. If he played his cards right, he could get Atem up and away from the piano without much more incident.

Predictably, Atem refused to let up. "Can you play or not?" Tone drenched in challenge. "Or can you do just about as much as I can?" His fingers skittered across the keys in an ugly way.

Kaiba sighed, arms coming around that smaller body. His fingers spread, pressing in lightly. The definite beginnings of a long forgotten melody. "It's a useless skill." He reassured the both of them, especially as Atem leaned back. His mother had liked it when he played. Gozaburo had less time for it, unless he was showing him off at a party. Like a show donkey. The memory made him grit his teeth and pull away.

Atem followed suit, though, his curiosity sated. "Are you coming back to bed, too?" He swiveled on the bench before standing.

"If it will keep you from going places you don't belong." He warned. "I've told you several times not to-"

He stopped Kaiba's tirade with his arms around the brunet's neck. "I was going to leave. But I thought that might be a bad idea, seeing as how you didn't." Kaiba had stayed for him, with the intent of coming back to bed. As far as things went, that was pretty sweet. For Kaiba, anyway.

"Going to the office would have wasted precious seconds when I could complete what I needed to here." More denial. It was a constant song Kaiba would always sing. Even as his hands drifted to Atem's hips. But Atem sang better songs. Like the ones he could drag out of that small body in the form of gasps and groans. Easily taken from him as his lips pressed against Atem's neck.

"Seto-" He was too tired to fight off the advance, and suddenly desperate for it at the same time. His hands balled in that bathrobe, keeping him close. His hips raised as Kaiba's hands rounded his backside.

"Hn." A deep and warmly amused noise as his tongue pressed against a fresh bite mark. He reached back to slide the cover over the piano keys, and then raised Atem up to sit on it. "This skill, however.." Breathed out as he effortlessly got Atem out of his pants, a light grip on his already hard cock.

Breathless. Wanton. Too tired to make sense of it. They'd been interrupted out of sleep- not sex. He wasn't sure he could do this again so close together. "You call it a skill?" Something he learned? And utilized? Atem felt like a toy all of a sudden.

Much more so when Kaiba laughed deeply. "You wouldn't?" He could bring Atem to his knees so easily. It was a thing of beauty. Like his little lover, panting and red faced in the moonlight. The hitched noise that Atem made when he pressed two fingers inside of him was more than enough.

"Good answer."


End file.
